Ex-palisades Educator Finding Adjustment Easy In Tamaqua

October 07, 1985|by DEBBIE MOYER, The Morning Call

Although Betsy Adams has been in her new position as principal of Tamaqua High School for only a little more than a month, the Schuylkill County students and teachers have made a favorable impression on the former Philadelphia-area administrator.

"The people have been extremely nice and friendly - very accepting," she said. "I don't have an adjustment to make as far as not feeling a part of things. I feel like I'm part of it already."

Adams came to Tamaqua from Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School in Montgomery County, where she was assistant principal for the past two years. Before that she was assistant principal at Palisades High School, 1981-83, and mathematics teacher there from 1973-81.

She divides her time between her home in Lansdale and a room in Tamaqua, and told The Morning Call that she still must put in one day ofservice at her former position. She is selling her home and plans to relocate to Schuylkill County.

Adams said she is ready to move from the large schools with which she's been associated to the smaller atmosphere that Tamaqua offers.

"My decision to accept the principal's position was a career move, but I also wanted to be out of suburban Philadelphia and into a smaller school," she said. "Larger schools are usually too big to have the personal touch I like. Declining enrollment (at Plymouth-Whitemarsh) caused a number of problems because of teacher layoffs. There was no new blood coming in and no young idealists - I was younger than most of the teachers."

Plymouth-Whitemarsh has an enrollment of about 1,600, which had declined over the past few years from 2,300. Tamaqua's enrollment is about 800, and Adams said common stereotypes about larger and smaller schools seem to be accurate.

"The kids are very well-behaved and mannerly (in Tamaqua)," she said. "If you walk through the halls for five minutes - here and there more willing to go the extra mile and do extra work for the students."

Adams said there are drawbacks connected with a smaller school, especially in the area of curriculum.

"You cannot offer as wide a curriculum or advanced placement courses as you could in a larger school," she said, adding that there was also a personal drawback connected with accepting the position.

"I took a pay cut to come here but I have no regrets whatsoever," she said. "I'm very happy here."

Adams said that former principal Curtis Steigerwalt, who retired after serving 21 years, made the transition "extremely easy" as the two worked together for several weeks.

"He wouldn't get himself involved in second guessing what I was doing," she said. "The feeling I get from the faculty is that they felt it was time to look for a replacement from the outside."

"Being as opposite physically from him as possible almost makes it an easier adjustment," she said, referring to the disparity in size between the current and former administrator.

The Lehigh University graduate said that being a woman in an administrative position has never posed serious problems, even in her position as assistant principal, traditionally a disciplinarian role.

"It has not been a problem with the kids, and not really a problem with teachers," she said. "Most of the problems came from parents and school board members."

Adams is a graduate of Conrad Weiser High School, Robesonia, Berks County; spent two years at Vassar College, and graduated in 1973 from Lehigh, where she also received her master's degree and principal's certificate. She is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania.

Her father grew up in Mahanoy City, about 12 miles from the Schuylkill County school where she is now employed.

Although she has been happy with the way her first few weeks have been going, Adams is not blind to problems which she may face at Tamaqua.

"There are no outstanding negatives, but I'm not saying there aren't problems," she said. 'I wouldn't want to come to a place that's perfect - where there are no challenges.

"There's nothing definite that I'm planning on changing but there are things I want to look into," she added. "I have lots of ideas about how an ideal school should be run, but I have to take my ideals and adjust them to Tamaqua High School."